1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a musical keyboard used for composition and performance. More specifically, the present invention relates to a 2-manual, split keyboard (bisymmetrical) and it's accompanying musical notation system.
2. Prior Art
As an engineer, I found the modern piano keyboard and musical notation system needlessly confusing. The myriad number of sharps, flats, key signatures and scale fingerings are much more complex and cumbersome than is necessary. The reason for the system that we presently have was the result of the evolution of musical tastes over the years. At the time when orchestral music was developing, the notes from the major scale were the only acceptable tones that were used in musical composition. In fact, the use of notes not in the major scale was considered in bad taste and almost scandalous. When the harpsichord was first produced, the keyboard consisted of only white keys that were arranged for the major scale . . . there were no black keys. Even though the white keys had been evenly spaced apart, the tones were not. The tone intervals between most of the white keys in this keyboard predecessor are whole tones but 2 of the intervals are half-tones. As music progressed, the rest of the half tones were added to the keyboard in the form of black keys. The result is the keyboard configuration that we presently have.